


Baby's First Snow

by NoisyNoiverns



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Reapers, Childhood, Gen, Snow, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-04 16:25:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13368594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoisyNoiverns/pseuds/NoisyNoiverns
Summary: Taniria is three years old when her parents take her to Palaven's far north for the first time.





	Baby's First Snow

**Author's Note:**

> Set in an AU where there are no Reapers and so the events of ME: Evolution don't happen, thus Desolas is alive and well post-Shanxi. Y'know, what I always do.

Taniria clung to her father's hand as she got down from the train. "Hop, hop, hop!" she chirped between giggles. The steps were so big, her three-year-old legs couldn't just walk down them like Mama and Daddy, so she had to jump. She liked jumping.

"Careful," Daddy said, waiting on the platform for her. He was holding her hand almost * _too_ * tight, but she didn't want to say anything. She'd seen how far down the ground was. She was glad he'd catch her if she fell.

She giggled one more time as she jumped to the platform, then tucked herself under his cloak out of habit. It was cozy under Daddy's cloak. "I know, Daddy."

"I'm just making sure." Daddy squeezed her hand, then relaxed, letting her switch hands so her hand closer to him could hold his leg instead.

"How'd you like the train, baby girl?"

Daddy moved his cloak so she could peer out at Mama. Mama had a grumpy, loppy-sided face, and it was kind of scary, but she always smiled and talked gentle around Taniria, so it wasn't so bad. Her mama was the prettiest, nicest mama in the whole world, even if she was grumpy.

So Taniria lifted her mandibles and grinned up at her. "It was fun!" she squeaked. "I sawed a asari!"

Daddy snorted. "When was that? You were sleeping most of the ride."

She craned her neck to look up at him and clicked her mandibles. "Next door, when we was gettin' on."

"You were getting the luggage sorted," Mama told him. "She saw an asari get in the compartment next to ours and told me."

"I see." Daddy leaned down a little and scratched behind her mandibles. "Did you see those big ol' bug eyes?"

Taniria giggled and leaned into his hand. "Daddy, asari don't gots those!"

"You sure? Oh, wait, you're right, that's _salarians!"_  He laughed and picked her up, cradling her against his chest. Her talons made little _clink_  noises as they touched the medals on his cowl, all the bits of metal and fabric that Mama said meant Daddy was somebody real important.

She giggled and made the bits _clink_  more. "Daddy, you're silly!"

"Am I? Am I?" He nuzzled her, purring loud enough that she felt it in her whole body. "Come on, we need to go. Mommy and Daddy need to meet somebody. Valis, do you want me to trade, baby for luggage?"

"I'll be fine, hotshot, a bum leg can't mess up carrying a couple bags. Do we know who we're looking for?" Mama asked, adjusting her cloak.

"Lieutenant Isadros, I think. Something like that."

Taniria put her head down against Daddy's cowl and closed her eyes, letting her parents' chatter wash over her. They weren't talking to her, so she didn't need to listen. Her new cloak was warmer than her old one, lined with something fuzzy that Mama said would protect her from the wind. Daddy said it was called "fur," and came from animals on the colonies. She just liked how soft it was.

Daddy started walking, and she curled in on herself, putting up her claws to cover her face. The lights in the station were bright, and now that Daddy had turned, there was nothing between them and her eyes.

Daddy's arms shifted, and he covered her hand with his, absently scratching the back of her head. "Valis, look," he whispered. "Isn't that adorable?"

Mama snorted. "You're such a dork." Raising her voice, she asked, "You okay, Tanni?"

Taniria whined. "The lights're too bright," she complained.

Daddy hummed. "I know, princess. Don't worry, we'll be out of here soon. Look, there's our man, over there."

He moved his hand to point, and she peeked out between her fingers at a tall crested with silver plates, waving to them. "Afternoon, sir and ma'am!" he called as they approached. "Who's the little one, if I may ask?"

"This is Taniria," Mama told him. "Tanni, this is Lieutenant Isadros."

Taniria squinted up at him. He was shorter than Daddy and Mama, but still tall enough that she had to crane her neck, even clinging to the lip of Daddy's cowl. "Hullo," she said, then quickly glanced back at her parents. "Is that right?" she asked, mandibles dropping. Mama said it was very important to mind her manners when she met people from her parents' work.

Mama purred. "You did just fine, sweetheart."

"She's only three," Daddy told the new man. "We're going to work on proper greetings when she's older. No point in teaching her when she can't manage it."

The new man nodded. "Understood, sir. Hello, Taniria." He offered her his hand. "You can call me Veruns, if you want. I'm supposed to make sure you and your parents get whatever you need while you're here in Acalin."

She hesitated, then reached out and grasped one of his fingers. "Hi."

Daddy hummed against her chest. "Lieutenant, we should probably get going. This one's easier to get settled when she's awake like this."

Mr. Veruns snapped to attention. Daddy had that effect on people. Mama said it was because he was so important. "Of course, sir. Right this way."

He led them away, towards big glass doors. Daddy walked slow so he could stay close to Mama. She walked funny when she didn't have her stick. Grandma Livina said it helped her balance. She wasn't balancing very good right now. Taniria could see her wobbling. "You're sure you don't want help?" Daddy asked.

Mama grumbled. "I can manage. I'll let you know if I need to sit down."

"Do you want to trade? Tanni might be easier for you to balance with than duffel bags."

"Spirits, no. If I fall, she'll go down with me. I'd rather drop a couple bags than drop my baby." Mama shook her head and looked over at Taniria. "You don't want to be dropped, do you, Tanni?"

Taniria giggled and shook her head. "Nuh-uh!"

Daddy _hrmm_ ed. "Alright, just let me know."

"You're cute when you worry about me." Mama's left mandible didn't work right, so her smile was as loppy-sided as the rest of her. Taniria liked Mama's smile.

Daddy didn't argue after that. He just kept following Mr. Veruns to the doors, and held one open for Mama.

It was _cold_  outside. Taniria had never been so cold before. She huddled down against Daddy's cowl and pulled her new cloak tighter around her, squeezing her eyes shut. Somewhere above her, Daddy barked at Mr. Veruns to "make it quick."

Then something cold and wet landed on her head.

She jolted in surprise, snapping her head back to look up. Little white fluffy things were drifting down from the sky, twisting and spinning as they went. Looking around, she saw the ground was covered in the stuff, like a thick white blanket. Another turian in a uniform like Mr. Veruns's was cleaning it off a skycar with a brush. Mr. Veruns himself was walking towards the car, leaving deep tracks behind him.

Mama was out of the building, but her and Daddy were still just standing there, watching her watch the white stuff. "What do you think, Tanni?" Daddy asked.

She twisted her neck to look up again, just in time for a white thing to land right in the middle of her lowest nasal plate. She squeaked and ducked her head again, hiding her nose under her hands. "It's _cold!"_  she cheeped.

Mama and Daddy laughed, but just those little laughs they did when they thought Taniria was cute, not the long ones they did when they made jokes. "It's called _snow,_  princess," Mama said. "It happens up here in the north a lot, where it's cold. It's too warm back home, most of the time."

"Sometimes there's whole _planets_  of the stuff," Daddy added. "The whole planet is really cold, so even the warm spots are covered in snow."

Taniria slowly lifted her head again, peering around at the "snow." It had to be soft, if Mr. Veruns could walk through it, right?

Making a split decision, she stretched out a hand towards the ground. "Daddy, pumme down!" she shrieked.

Instead, Daddy tightened his grip on her. "Not right now, baby girl," he told her. "You don't have boots on, your feet will freeze off."

She twisted to look up at him and whined, lowering her mandibles. "But _Daddy!"_

 _"No,_  Tanni," he said, and the subvocals rumbling in his cowl said he wasn't playing, and she better stop arguing. "When we get to base, we'll get you dressed better for the snow, and you can go outside and play. But you have to behave, and we have to get there first. Okay?"

She pouted for a minute, but when Daddy's face didn't change, she lowered her head and flopped against his cowl. "Okay, Daddy."

His subvocals changed. _Relieved_  and _sorry._  "That's my girl. Come on, the sooner we leave, the sooner you can play."

They started walking towards the skycar Mr. Veruns and his friend were still brushing snow off. Daddy lowered his voice and told her, "Besides, you don't want to play in _this_  snow, it's all powdery and new. The snow you _want_  is a little older and wetter, so you can pack it into shapes." He nudged her with his mouth. "Like balls that you can _throw at people."_

She giggled a little and peeked up at him. "Really?"

"Oh, yeah." His mandibles flicked up. "Your mommy's real good at making snowballs. Maybe if you ask nicely, she'll teach you."

Taniria gasped quietly and pattered her hands against Daddy's cowl, purring. This would be a _fun_  trip.


End file.
